Genus: Pristipomoides, Jobfishes, Wenchmen, Deepwater Snappers

PRISTIPOMOIDES

JOBFISHES, WENCHMEN, DEEPWATER SNAPPERS

Body fusiform, slender; flattened between eyes; mouth relatively large, top jaw moderately protrusible, slips under cheek bone for most of its length when mouth is closed; one or more rows of pointed conical teeth on jaws, with enlarged canines at front; teeth on front and sides of roof of mouth numerous, small and slender; roof of mouth with triangular, V or diamond shaped tooth patch; no large pores on chine; preoperculum serrated; dorsal fin continuous, not notched between spiny and soft parts, X, 10-11; anal fin III, 8; last ray of dorsal and anal fins conspicuously longer than preceding rays, usually produced in a filament; pectorals long, about 2/3 head length, 15-17 rays; tail fin forked; body, cheek and operculum scaly; snout, below eye and both jaws scale-less; scales medium-sized to small; dorsal and anal fins scaleless.

A genus of tropical deepwater snappers found in the Indo-central Pacific and West Atlantic; with 11 species, including 8 in the Indo Pacific; one Indo-central Pacific species is known as a vagrant in the Galapagos.